Apparatus for and art of carburation



Dec. 12, 1933. M. F. HEANEY 1,939,302

APPARATUS FOR AND ART OF CARBURATI-ON Y Jiffy@ Dec. 12, 1933. M. F.HEANEY l APPARATUS FOR AND A RT OF CARBURATION Filed April 12, 1929' 2shets-sheet 2 r LF.

Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR AND ART F CARBURATIONv Mark Finlay Heaney, Cambridge, Mass., assigner of forty percent toEdward B. Benjamin, New

Application April 12, 1929. serial No. 354,532

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of carburation, andmore particularly concerns an improved manner Aand apparatus for thedistribution of a liquid fuel in a combustible I gas whereby to producethe fuel gas mixture itself.

'I'his invention proposes to accomplish a comminution of the liquid fuelby means of an oscillation thereof at such a rate that particles of thefuel are projected from the surface of the liquid and of such dimensionsthat they aresuspensible in the combustion-supporting gas. Such a rateof v oscillation will hereinafter be referred to as of high frequency,denoting that the frell quency is of a rate and intensity to cause thisphysical projection of minute particles from the surface of the liquidin distinction from the mere agitation and wave formations produced atlow frequencies.

A particular means of accomplishing the method comprises the employmentof oscillations of the liquid body of the fuel at a rate commonly knownas superaudible, induced by an oscillator of the quartz crystal type,the crystal in turn serving in a circuit includingl an electron dis-4charge tube to establish and x the rate of the vibrations produced.

Another feature of the invention is the breaking down of relativelylarge bodies of liquid into small particles of substantially molecularsize, whether this liquid be present as a pool in a carburetingapparatus or temporarily suspended as droplets in a gas.

With these and other objects in view as will appear in the course of thefollowing specilcation and claims, illustrative examples of practicingthe invention are shown by apparatus set forth in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a vertical section through a carbureting apparatus,taken substantially through the axis of the air-pipe and the floatchamber.

Fig. 2 isA a detail of the jet and oscillator of Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale,

Fig. 3 is a. modified form of construction in which two oscillators areemployed, one serving to produce comminution at the surface of a pool ofliquid fuel and the other serving to break down relatively largedroplets of fuel which have already been suspended in thecombustion-supporting gas.

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the manner of connecting the quartzcrystal for accomplishing the method.

Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the oscillators of Fig. 3, on an enlargedscale.

In Fig. 1 of these drawings, an ordinary float chamber 10 contains thefloat 11 operating the needle valve 12 through the levers 13. The needlevalve 12 controls the admission of a liquid fuel from the supply conduit14 into the interior of the float chamber 10 from which it passesthrough the conduit 15 to the carbureting apparatus proper. Theseelements are old and well known and form no part of the presentinvention save insofar as they determine a proper level of liquid fuelwithin the carbureting apparatus.

Air can enter at the bottom into the air pipev 16, passing upward arounda bridge 17 and through the Venturi sleeve 18 through a connection 19 tothe internal combustion engine or other point of employment. Theadmission of air to the carbureting apparatus is controlled by abutterfly valve 20, while the delivery of the fuel mixture to the engineis controlled by a similar butterfly valve 21, both in known manner.

The bridge 17 has a liquid chamber 22 to receive and contain a supply ofliquid fuel admitted by the conduit 15 from the float chamber 10. Anozzle 23 is mountedinthe bridge 17 and has its passage in constantcommunication with the chamber 22: the upper end of the nozzle 23terminates slightly above the liquid fuel level maintained by the floatl1.

In the wall of the bridge 17, below the chamber 22 is formed an aperture24 which receives a sleeve 25 threaded into the walls of this aperture.The sleeve 25 has a peripheral flange 26 to engage the spacing washersor shims 27 by which the location of the sleeve 25 with respect to thetop of the nozzle 23 may be exactly adjusted and fixed. AThe sleeve 25is hollow and is shown as formed with a lower chamber 28 and an upperchamber 29. An insulating member 30 resembling the usual porcelain of aspark'- plug has its peripheral flange seated in the lower chamber 28and is sealed against leakage and movement by a packing gland nut 31.The upper end of the porcelain projects into the chamber 29 and receivesan annular resilient and inupper plate 35 and projects upward into thepassage of the nozzle 23 and extends to near the upper end thereof. Thecentral electrode 38 through the porcelain body 30 is connected at itsupper end to a helical coil spring 39 which in turn is connected to thelower plate 33. The two plates themselves are secured to the crystal asby cementing.v

The central electrode v38 is threaded at its lower end and preferablyformed with a tight but sliding iit in the insulating member 30. As thelower nut' 3lEl therein is drawn tight, the load is moved lengthwisedownward, and through the spring 39 an increased tension is applied toseat the pieso-electrically responsive device 33, 34, 35 upon the member32. The conducting wire from the lower plate of this device is clampedby the thumb nut 31h: while the electrical connection 4to theupper-plate is grounded on some part of the frame, and by the groundedrelationship of the rebent iiange 36 of the upper plate with respect tothe bushing 25, the circuit is completed. It is preferred to provide aninsulating ring 32a covering the projecting edge of the lower plate 33and assuring against any short-circuiting at this point.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the crystal 34 and its plates33, 35 are connected in circuit with an electron discharge tube T. Aconductor leads from the plate 33 to a parallel resonance circuitcomprising the inductance 40 and variable condenser 41 and thence to theanode of the tube T. The other plate 35 of the crystal oscillator issimilarly connected to the grid of the tube T. The grid of the tube isconnected directly through a leak resistance 42 to the ground G and' tothe cathode of the tube. An anode return is established from a pointbetween the plate 33 and the loop 40, 4l, through a load inductance 43and the anode battery 44 to the cathode, while a battery 45 is employedfor heating the cathode itself. 'I'his is one method of operating with aquartz lcrystal whereby to produce mechanical vibrations therein at adefinite and controlled rate. This is a known method of operation andforms no part of the present invention, being illustrated only for thepurpose of showing, in conjunction with the crystal itself, a means ofsecuring mechanical vibrations at a high frequency, in the presentinstance preferably of a-superaudible frequency, of a mechanicalelement.

The operation of the device may be described as follows:

When fuel is admitted through the conduit 14 past needle valve 12 intothe float chamber it establishes a predetermined maximum level thereinand in the nozzle 23.

The crystal 34 is now set in vibration by the means indicated withrespect to Fig. 4, whereby the upper plate causes the needle 37 to moveat a very high speed, the needle being of low mass and inertia so thatthe movement may be accomplished without undue requirements of power:thus causing a continuous projection of liquid particles from the endthereof above the liquid level. The upper plate 35 of the crystal systemlikewise tends to impose a slight compressional wave upon the contentsof the chamber 22 and forces the latter to ascend slightly in the nozzle23, this being facilitated by the obstruction to liquid movementafforded by the distortion in direction of the conduit 15, whereby anescape of the liquid through this conduit at the high frequency issubstantially prevented.

As a result of the high frequency of oscillation imparted to the body ofthe liquid in the chamber 22 and in the nozzle 23. particles of theliquid are throw-n from the opening of this nozzle into the air currentpassing upward in the tube 16, and are drawn along by this air and thusproduce a fuel mixture therewith to be delivered at the connection 19.

In the modied form of construction shown in Fig. 3, the pipe 50 issubstantially horizontal and has a recess 51 in its lower wall tocontain a pool of liquid fuel. A sleeve 52 as before receives theinsulating body 53 with the electrode 54 connected by the coil spring 55with the lower plate 56 of the crystal 57 having the upper plate 58 inelectrical contact with the upper surrounding wall 59 of the sleeve 52.A resilient and insulating dampener 60 is provided to permit the freeoscillation of the crystal body. The pool of liquid fuel is .maintainedby the delivery of liquid through the inlet conduit opening 51a: and thelevel thereof may be controlled in any suitable manner.

The pool of liquid is set in vibration and particles are projectedupward from its surface as shown by the dots in Fig. 3, being carriedalong by the current of combustion supporting gas entering at the left.As the particles thus formed move along in the pipe 50 they pass througha series of needles 61 supported by the upper plate 620i a furthercrystal 63 having its lower plate 64 connected by a coil spring 65 withthe electrode 66 of an insulating body 67 mounted in the sleeve 68'. Aresilient washer 69 is provided as before. As the primary fuel mixture,comprising the particles projected from the pool in chamber 51 and thecombustion supporting gas. pass these needles, which are moved in rapidlongitudinal vibration by the crystal 63 in the manner previouslydescribed, any large droplets of fuel therein are set into oscillationat such a rate as to overcome the intennolecular cohesion and thesocalled surface tension in these droplets, whereby they are brokenapart and a nal comminution produced. It will thus be noted that in thissecond modification not only is the primary distribution of droplets offuel in gas suspension produced by oscillations in the body of fuelwhile collected in a pool, but likewise large droplets are broken downinto small particles even though these droplets be then suspended in agas.

` Quartz crystals may be employed as the oscillators, in well known.-manner. 'I'he frequency of vibrations produced may vary from the uppersocalled audible frequencies such as 10,000 cycles per second, tosuperaudible ones, such as 500,000 cycles per second; the greater thefrequency, ordinarily the greater the comminution produced 130 by thesystem.

The invention is therefore particularly applicable to the production ofintimate suspensions of minute particles of liquid fuel in a combustionsupporting gas such as air. Evenheavy fuels may 135 be successfullyvaporized or comminuted in the presence of a gas in this manner, andafter the production of the primary mixture, the larger particles may befurther broken down by producing vibrations thereof as they aresuspended in 140 the fuel gas. t

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the forms ofexecution shown, nor to the particular described method of producingoscillations in the body of the liquid, but that 145 many equivalentstherefor may be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of Carburation which comprises 150 agitating a body ofliquid fuel in the presence of a combustion-supporting gas and at anoscillation frequency of more than 10,000 cycles per second forcounteracting the cohesion and surface tension thereof whereby to causea disruption thereof into minute particles suspensible in the gas,establishing a ow of the gas to carry away the particles as they areformed, and agitating the particles while suspended in the gas at afrequency greater than 10,000 cycles per second.

2. An apparatus for carburation comprising means for suspendingparticles of liquid fuel in a current of combustion-supporting gas, andpiezo-electric means for agitating the particles in the current at afrequency greater than 10,000 cycles per second whereby to break up theparticles by counteracting the cohesion and surface tension thereof.

3. An `apparatus for Carburation comprising means for holding a pool ofliquid fuel, means for passing a current of combustion-supporting gasover said pool, means to `project gas suspensible particles from saidpool into said gas, and means for imparting to the current of mingledparticles and gas an agitation at a frequency of more than 10,000 cyclesper second.

4. In a carbureting apparatus, a carburetor casing adapted to containliquid fuel, a bushing constituting a lower part of said casing, apiezoelectrically responsive crystal in said bushing, and having upperand lower electrode plates, said upper. electrode plate constituting apart of the casing wall and being electrically connected to saidbushing, a resilient member insulatedly supporting said lower electrodeplate, a conductor connected to said lowe'i electrode plate andextending through said bushing, and insulating means to seal saidbushing and to support said conductor.

5. A carbureting apparatus as in-claim 4, in which a spring connectionis employed for mechanical and electrical connection between saidconductor and the lower electrode plate whereby the pressure of saidlower electrode plate against said resilient member may be varied bymoving said conductor longitudinally.

6. A carbureting apparatus as in claim 4, in which the upper electrodeplate is provided with an upwardly projecting needle to be vibratedlongitudinally by the movements of said plate, said needle being adaptedto come into contact with the fuel.

7. In a carbureting apparatus, a piezo-electrically responsive elementand electrodes plates therefor, a needle connected to and located at aright angle with respect to one of said plates whereby it is adapted tobe moved longitudinally during the oscillation .of the element, means tobring a. suspension of fuel particles in a combustion supporting gasinto contact with said needle, and means to actuate said element tocause said ,one plate to vibrate mechanically at high frequency wherebyto impart high frequency mechanical oscillations to said needle and tothe said suspension whereby to break said particles down into smallerones.

8. In a carbureting apparatus, a piezoelec trically responsive crystaland electrode plates therefor, means for forming a pool of liquid fuelupon and above one of said plates, means for actuating said crystal tocause saidone plate to vibrate mechanically at a high frequency wherebyto impart high frequency mechanical oscillations to the liquid toproduce minute particles therefrom, vand means for passing a current ofcombustion-supporting gas over the surface of the liquid whereby tosweepaway the suspended particles as formed and to produce therewith acombustible mixture.

9. In a carbureting apparatus, an air conduithaving a restriction,avertical nozzle opening at its top into said conduit adjacent saidrestriction, aneedle in said nozzle, means for vibrating said needlelongitudinally at a high frequency, and means for maintaining a level ofliquid fuel in said nozzle substantially at the upper end thereof.

MARK FINLAY HEANEY iso

